Found 40 blog entries tagged as House Hunting.

Have you made it your New Year’s resolution to find that perfect Santa Cruz home for you and your family? You might have thought that you needed to wait until spring to start house shopping, but the fact is that January is a great time to begin. Put on your winter jacket and get out there while the leftovers from the New Year’s party are still in the fridge – you’ll have the upper hand.

House hunting in January offers a number of advantages that will work in your favour. Here are some of the main reasons

Busy Social Calendars
First of all, most other people will be busy with parties, holidays and getting back to work after Christmas and they won’t want to venture out in the cold weather to go look at houses– so there will be fewer competition when…

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If you have purchased a new Santa Cruz house and are going to move in soon, what are the first things that you will need to do when you arrive at your new home?

Change Your Address

You will need to change your address for all magazine subscriptions, bills and other services. Visit your post office to find out what needs to be done.

Set Up the Utilities

When you move into a new home, you will need to get all of the contact information from the previous homeowner for the utility companies. Be sure to change the services into your name before you move in, such as gas, cable, electricity, internet, telephone, sewer and water.

Change the Locks

You have no way of knowing who the old homeowners gave a copy of the key to, so having the locks…

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From location to age, many factors play into the desire to purchase a condominium instead of an unattached Santa Cruz home. If you want to live in a large city, freestanding houses may be few and far between. If you are older and don’t want to worry about yard work, then a complex where that’s taken care of might be for you.

Making the decision to purchase a condo rather than an unattached property can be tough. So below we’ve outlined some of the pros and cons of each option.

Pros and Cons of a Condo

• Tax benefits. Purchasing a condo gives you the same tax benefits as owning a house. You can deduct mortgage interest and property taxes from your federal taxes.
• Equity. Just as when you own a single-family property, you’ll be building equity and…

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It’s a great time to buy because there are still quite a few Santa Cruz homes for sale now and interest rates have continued to stay low. Whether it’s your first time purchasing real estate or you’re a seasoned professional, here are a few tips to make shopping for a new house more pleasurable.

1. Get Help

Searching through all of the available real estate can be mind-boggling. Find a professional real estate agent to wade through the Santa Cruz homes for sale and find one that meet your family and financial needs.

2. Start Looking Now

Finding the perfect house can take months, especially if you’re looking in a competitive market. If you’re looking at getting a good deal on a foreclosure or short sale, then these transactions can take even…

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When you are looking to buy a Santa Cruz home, it is important to keep in mind that no real estate price is set in stone. There is always room for negotiation, and with the right techniques you can end up saving thousands of dollars on your dream house.

However, it can be tricky to get the right reaction when you are negotiating. An offer that is too low can cause the seller to dismiss you, which will leave you disappointed and empty-handed. Here are a few tips that will help you to haggle your way to the best deal.

Find out the seller’s motivation
If they really need to move and sell the property, it will be easier to convince them to negotiate on price because you will have more bargaining power. For example, they might be relocating for a job or…

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If you lost your Santa Cruz real estate because of foreclosure, you probably haven't given up on the dream of owning a new home. You may be scared to attempt new financing — afraid you’ll be turned down and embarrassed in the process.

There are a few guidelines that lenders follow to determine when you’ll qualify for financing after foreclosure. Arming yourself with this information will help you overcome your fears and qualify again for a mortgage.

Foreclosure With Extenuating Circumstances
Generally, lenders will take into consideration any extenuating circumstances surrounding the foreclosure on your Santa Cruz real estate.

Was there a death or illness that prevented you from earning money to pay your mortgage? Did you have a job transfer that…

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April 15th seems a long way off, but it will be here before you know it. Now is the perfect time to start getting your ducks in a row — and your paperwork too. Owning real estate can make a big difference on your tax return, so make sure that you’re taking advantage of all the deductions you’re entitled to. We’ve outlined a few below.

Mortgage Interest
Unless you paid cash for your purchase, you probably took out a loan to buy your Santa Cruz home. Mortgage interest is one of the best tax deductions out there, so be sure to hang on to that 1098 form from your bank. You can almost always deduct the entire amount of interest paid per calendar year.

Real Estate Taxes
Depending on where your property is located, you are likely paying real estate tax,…

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From deciding on the sale price to closing the final deal, the role of your Santa Cruz real estate agent is to make sure every aspect of the sale process goes smoothly. In order to accomplish this goal, you and your property expert need to be on the same page. Below are a few questions to ask your Realtor before putting your home on the market.

Is my home ready to be sold?

Ask your Realtor their professional opinion as to whether your home is ready to be sold in its current condition or if it would be advantageous to make improvements first. In some cases, a simple renovation can ensure that you get a much better sale price on the home.

How much have other comparable homes sold for in my area?

The answer to this question will help you to get…

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Moving everything in your house to your new Santa Cruz home can be an overwhelming task. You never realize how much stuff you actually own until you try to fit it all into boxes and move it somewhere new.

When you are packing up your things to relocate, here are some helpful tips to make your moving experience much easier.

Start packing in advance
You don’t have to wait until the day before you move to start packing everything in your house! As soon as you find out that you are moving, you can start packing the items you don’t often use, such as your seasonal decorations, photo albums and family keepsakes. If you pack a few items per week, you’ll have almost everything packed by the time you are ready to go except for the essentials you use every…

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Part of the process of buying a Santa Cruz home includes visiting several open houses so that you can view your options. The idea of an open house is to get a chance to look inside a property you are considering and to get a better idea of whether you want to buy it.

Whenever you are attending an open house, it is important to observe proper etiquette. In order to avoid offending or annoying the homeowners, here are seven tips to keep in mind:

1. If there is a sign out front for an open house, you can feel free to simply enter. However, try to introduce yourself to the real estate agent the first chance you get.

2. Always wipe your feet on the doormat so you don’t track dirt into the house. The owners have probably spent hours cleaning and…

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